Capsule magazine units are known, for instance in U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,106, that keep capsules having the substance which is to be prepared, in particular different types of espresso coffee, ready for preparation in an organized and easily selectable manner. Accordingly, a plurality of capsule magazine tubes can be arranged in the shape of a circular ring or else in a linear row as the capsule magazine unit. The capsule magazine unit can be a releasable part of an espresso machine, but may also be formed separately from the latter. The capsule magazine unit can be removed from the holding device for the capsule magazine unit for convenient fitting with the different coffee capsules and can then be re-inserted into it. Each capsule magazine tube which is part of the capsule magazine unit has a lower capsule removal opening which is arranged laterally or radially outwards if the capsule magazine tubes are arranged in a circle. The lowermost capsule can be removed in each case manually from this capsule removal opening or—preferably if the holding device for the capsule magazine unit is integrated in an espresso machine—can be pushed out of the capsule removal opening by mechanical means in order to convey it into a brewing position to prepare the espresso.
Although the capsule magazine units have made great progress in the simple and reliable preparation of drinks, in particular the preparation of espresso, it can be perceived as being a drawback that, when the capsule magazine unit has been removed from the holding device for the capsule magazine unit, in particular of an espresso machine, the capsules may unintentionally slide out of the removal openings of the magazine tubes, in particular if the capsule magazine unit is tilted.